Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to explore this ancient capital. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers.

Day 2  ROME

Included sightseeing with a Local Guide starts in St. Peter’s Square, followed by a visit to the Roman Forum

Roman Forum

and the mighty Colosseum

Visit the great Colosseum in Rome

. (Breakfast)

Day 3  ROME–PISA

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Traffic is banned in part of the historic center, so visitors can wander at leisure and admire the city’s timeless beauty in relative peace and quiet. Don’t miss out this morning on the included walking tour with a Local Guide that features most of the city highlights. You will see the Piazza Santa Croce; the beautiful Piazza Signoria; the Palazzo Vecchio and its courtyard; the Loggia dei Lanzi; and, to top it all, the Piazza del Duomo and its cathedral with the Giotto Campanile, and the magnificent East Door of the Baptistry known as the “Gate of Paradise.” In the afternoon, drive north across the River Po into the Plains of Venetia for two overnights in the Venice area. (Breakfast)

Day 5  VENICE AREA

Venice is more like a marvelous film set than a real live city, with its criss-crossing canals, gondolas and water buses, arched bridges, palaces, and little quiet piazzas. The orientation starts with a boat ride and is followed by a chance to watch Venetian glassblowers fashion their delicate objects as they did centuries ago. Don’t miss out on the optional gondola trip, gliding along the picturesque canals with a local troubadour to serenade you. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 6  VENICE AREA–CORTINA–INNSBRUCK

Enjoy some time exploring the beautiful Innsbruck

A church on an Austrian mountaintop

Journey northwards today from the flat farmlands of the Venetian countryside to the Dolomites

A majestic view of the famous Italian Dolomites

Time this morning to get acquainted with Innsbruck. The visit includes the famous Golden Roof. Later, drive through the valleys and villages of the mountainous Tyrol to the Arlberg tunnel, descending into Switzerland. Stop briefly in Vaduz, Liechtenstein’s capital, before heading for Lake Lucerne

Lake Lucerne

Day 9  LAKE LUCERNE–PARIS, FRANCE

Vistas of green pastures and attractive chalets with rustic timbering and luxuriant flowers. Then into France on the highway, past some of its most famous vineyards, to Paris. Arrive in time to enjoy the optional cabaret show. (Breakfast)

Day 10  PARIS

Paris holds a special place in the imagination. It’s a city of many facets and famed for its culture, beauty, sophistication, and sparkle. By sitting with a glass of wine in a bistro or sidewalk café, you can absorb the essence of the city and the individualism of its people. The center has wide boulevards and impressive buildings. Included sightseeing with a local expert of many of the best-known Parisian sights: La Sorbonne, Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Triomphe standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle

, Opéra, Madeleine, the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower in Paris

, the Pyramid near the Louvre

Louvre

, the Invalides, and Champs Elysées. Optional excursions are also available to the Palace and Gardens of Versailles and, to celebrate the success of your tour, a French farewell dinner might be just the ticket. (Breakfast)

Day 11  PARIS–LONDON, ENGLAND

Big Ben, the bell of the clock tower

Relax and let the countryside whiz by on the road north to the coast, where you board your Channel ferry. Through Kent to London

The London Eye, also known as the Millennium Wheel